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Sports

A Wild Draft Prospect Is Suddenly on the Vikings’ Radar

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11 hours ago

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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell in 2025
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

This year’s draft features likely top pick Fernando Mendoza, star running back Jeremiyah Love, combine standouts and sure first-rounders Sonny Styles and Kenyon Sadiq, as well as countless other intriguing players. Perhaps the most fascinating one is someone who has yet to take his first steps on the gridiron.

Nigerian defensive tackle prospect Uar Bernard has become a sweet story in this year’s pre-draft process thanks to his otherworldly athleticism and an article of The Athletic written by Bruce Feldman.

Feldman introduced the draft hopeful: “Jordan Luallen trained some of the most freakish athletes at the 2026 NFL combine: A 245-pound edge rusher who vertical-jumped 41 inches, a jumbo wide receiver who ran a 4.3 40, and a 293-pound defensive tackle who ran 4.8. But Luallen told The Athletic he’s never seen an athlete like the one he’s been training for the past 10 weeks for this year’s NFL draft. Uar Bernard (pronounced “ooh-are”) measured in earlier this week at the NFL’s HBCU showcase at 6-4 1/2, 306 pounds with 11-inch hands and almost 36-inch arms.”

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According to analyst Ryan Fowler, the Vikings are one of five teams to have shown interest in hosting Bernard for a visit.

Bernard is a project that will likely take years to provide a return on investment, if he ever can. Yet, teams often spend their later draft picks on players with potential rather than selecting pro-ready athletes and Bernard fits that mold, though perhaps a little more extreme than usual.

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Feldman added, “Other people who have spent their lifetimes in football say Bernard looks like a Marvel creation. Bernard’s body fat: 6 percent. He vertical-jumped 39 inches and broad-jumped 10-10, which was 14 inches more than any other defensive tackle did at this year’s combine. His 40-yard dash: 4.63.”

That’s indeed a marvel-like arsenal of physical tools.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he’s the most athletic defensive tackle prospect in over two decades of data. They posted on social media, “We ran Nigerian IPP prospect Uar Bernard’s numbers through the NGS athleticism models (predictive & raw) trained against DTs since 2003. Here’s how he scored relative to the 2026 draft class:
Athleticism Score: 96 (1st)
Raw ATH Score: 10.0 (1st)”

A terrible three-cone time hurt his still-excellent relative athletic score, but it’s worth wondering whether he’s really unable to change direction or if he botched the test. Given his movement skills, the latter theory might be more than just a conspiracy theory.

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The NFL has been trying to grow the game internationally and the number of foreign players in the NFL is slowly rising. Few have turned out to become star players or even starters. The most prominent one is Eagles All-Pro tackle Jordan Mailata, an Australian with zero football experience prior to the 2018 draft.

Feldman noted, “Bernard began the training program Jan. 18 in Florida with Luallen. He came in at 295 pounds with 11 percent body fat. He vertical-jumped 32 inches and broad-jumped 9-4. To see the improvement in the 10 weeks of training is unlike anything Luallen has experienced. ‘He was very naturally gifted when he walked in, but he made substantial improvement on everything. He’s super freakin’ flexible, and he is way more fluid now.’”

Bernard grew up in a small village in Nigeria and wanted to pursue a career in real estate. Most people from there are farmers, he said, according to Feldman.

His football journey started when he was playing basketball and a coach suggested he should pick up football. A few football camps later, he was chosen by the International Pathway Program.

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That program is working with former players and coaches to teach the prospects the sport. YouTube has been another way for him to study defensive line play, especially Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald, who have caught his attention.

Without any college experience, there’s a good chance Bernard lacks the fundamentals to thrive in the NFL, needing a lot of work. However, players with such athletic feats will always draw attention as long-term projects.

vikings
Oct 20, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon left this offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. Ryan Nielsen was hired in that role. Nielsen has been a defensive line coach for two decades and a guy with his experience appears to be primed for that assignment.

Based on potential alone, he’ll likely hear his name called late in the draft as a flier and the Vikings could be the ones pulling that trigger.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

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Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

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Sports

When will You, Me & Tuscany (2026) premiere? Release date, cast details, first look, and more

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4 minutes ago

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5 April 2026

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Directed by Kat Coiro, You, Me & Tuscany is scheduled for release on April 10, 2026. The film stars Halle Bailey in the lead role, alongside Regé-Jean Page, with supporting roles from Marco Calvani, Aziza Scott, and Nia Vardalos, among others. The film’s official synopsis reads:

“When Anna loses her house-sitting job (and housing) in one fell swoop, a chance encounter with Matteo—a handsome Italian who happens to have a villa sitting empty in Tuscany—will inspire her to jet off for Italy, against the advice of her always-honest bestie, Claire”

You, Me & Tuscany plot, cast details and more

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You, Me & Tuscany follows Anna, who has lost touch with her dream of becoming a chef. After losing her job and home, she meets an Italian man, Matteo, and decides to travel to Italy on an impulse. She plans to stay one night in his empty villa, but things take a twisted turn when his mother arrives unexpectedly.

Out of panic, Anna pretends to be Matteo’s fiancée. The situation grows complicated when his cousin Michael, shows up. As Anna and Michael grow closer, her lie becomes harder to keep, forcing her to face the truth and decide what she really wants in life and love.

You, Me & Tuscany is led by actress Halle Bailey. Bailey became a household name with her breakout role as Sky Forster in the hit series Grown-ish, but she earned global fame as Ariel in the live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid. In an interview with People, Bailey shared her personal connection to the project and what drew her to the lead role. She said:

“I was very intrigued by Anna’s storyline, by her character, by her vision and passion that she has and the wants and goals for herself. … It’s a really feel-good movie.”

Opposite her is Regé-Jean Page, whom we best know as the Duke of Hastings, in the first season of Bridgerton. Recalling how quickly he signed on to the film, Page shared a lighthearted moment about his conversation with producer Will Packer, revealing just how simple the decision was for him. In the same interview, he said:

“Will [Packer] and I had a real short conversation and then he just texted me ‘Tuscany in the summer’ with a question mark. End of message. I was like, ‘Yeah, I think we can do that.’ “

The script for You, Me & Tuscany was written by Ryan Engle, based on an original story he developed with Kristin N. Engle. It is produced by Will Packer, known for his work on Girls Trip, alongside Johanna Byer.

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The filming took place in Italy across locations such as Pienza, Montalcino, and the Amalfi Coast. It is set to premiere in theaters on April 10, 2026.